Last Hope
by ZombieWaffles
Summary: Naruto was bit months ago, he never turned though. Now tasked with getting him to the city Captain Kiba of the hidden leaf corp is thrown fora loop after getting to know the cure. What is supposed to happen and what they want are two different things.


He had fought with Kiba all day; you would think in the apocalypse there would be more important things than arguing with a hot solider. Like really hot. Not that it was the issue. The issue was they needed rest, not to keep going. Naruto was tired, exhausted even, and they had been moving nearly nonstop for days. He couldn't take much more, he need rest. Unfortunately, Kiba was adamant on continuing.

"I'm not moving from this spot," Naruto huffed, dropping onto his ass in the middle of the woods, the ground covered in a feet of snow- really not his best thought out idea, but he had a point to make. "Not until you agree to find a place to rest for a few days." He huffed again, ignoring the white in each breath he took and the glare from the brunette.

"We are not stopping, we are close."

"Close!" Naruto's eyes widened. "It'll take us more than a month just to get there and that's if your boat is still there. Getting back to Kohono is not something that will happen fast." He took a deep breath. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Hey," Kiba warned, "my job is to get you there ASAP..."

"Well ASAP means as soon as possible, not kill us just to get there right now," he sighed, having cut off Kiba. "Seriously I need rest, you need rest; we can't keep this pace up." Naruto tucked his arms in, hugging himself. "Please." He never thought he would resort to begging but here he was. And when he heard the defeated sigh he felt it was worth it.

"Two days, than we get to the harbor and back on track."

He- if he wasn't nearly frozen to the bone - could probably jump for joy.

"Come on."

Naruto took the outreached hand, being pulled up from the ground.

"There was a farm I passed on my way to get you, its only about an hour from here. We will rest there." Kiba started moving again, slower this time allowing Naruto to take his time. He realized he was pushing the kid. Naruto wasn't a soldier, he couldn't move like one either. He was taking out having to be here on the kid, on some off chance they can make a vaccine with his blood.

On that small chance, he was sent out. It took him two months to get there and getting back would be just as hard of a journey. So they uprooted his life and the comfort of his post in the safe zone for this, that wasn't Naruto's fault. He knew that and the kid wasn't a bad person nor was he bad to look at. Kiba had just been pissed since the moment he got the order from Tsunade to come here and get the immune kid. Which wasn't actually a kid he was eighteen but still a kid to Kiba. Hell Naruto was the youngest person alive. After the virus-well it took more than lives and did more than mutate half the world. It also caused some kind of problem and it had caused nothing but still borns from those who could get pregnant, these last eighteen years.

It was truly the end of the world. So maybe he really didn't see a point in going halfway around the world for a vaccine when they were doomed anyway. But he was here and he needed to slow down and maybe not be so pissed off. Because it really wasn't Naruto's fault that Kiba was dragged out here. Hell, thinking about it, he realized Naruto was being uprooted from his life too.

"Naruto."

"What?" Naruto looked up from the ground.

"How did you find out about the immunity?" He was sure he already knew.

"Seven months ago I got bit, "Naruto huffed. "Gotta say the bit hurt less than the tests they ran." He sighed. "To be honest I almost killed myself, when it happened. I snuck out of the city, got bit, couldn't go through with it. Then I stayed away from the safe zone but after a month..." Naruto shrugged. "When I didn't change I went back and to the doctors. It just seemed like something I should do."

"You tried to kill yourself?" It wasn't something Kiba could picture, Naruto wasn't the type.

"Yeah." Naruto rubbed gloved fingers over the nap of his neck. "I didn't want to become one of those things but in the end I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was a mess but I guess its a good thing I couldn't go through with it."

Kiba nodded. Thinking about it he really couldn't see Naruto trying to off himself but he could see just how scared the kid must have been. He wanted to pull Naruto into his arms, which was new to him. He didn't though, but he wanted to, he wanted to have been there to comfort him.

'Not even a month,' he thought. Not even a month, it only took the kid a few weeks to do what the doctor had said. 'Naruto isn't a person you can hate.' He repeated the words. The doctor was right, he could be infuriating, drive Kiba crazy but there was no dislike. "Hurt." Kiba stopped turning towards the blond what was it he said about the bit not hurting.

Naruto shrugged again, nervously rubbing his arm where the bit was hidden under the jacket. "Yeah the reason why I'm going to Kohono is the crescent moon kingdom is lacking in just about everything. So you know the tests, the needles, spinal fluid all that stuff they couldn't really numb me first." He hated it but he knew it was necessary to be honest though he had wished a few times that the bit had worked and he wouldn't have had to go through that.

"They should have waited."

The words surprised both men, when Kiba spoke them really they were a mask for the spike of anger Kiba had felt over the facts. They had hurt Naruto and it was unnecessary to him.

"Its over for now, at least."

"Its over." Kiba corrected in his mind before he could even give it thought the words he thought were simple, 'it'd be a cold day in hell before he let them hurt Naruto.' The suffering just to buy people more time was unnecessary, besides, they could have waited. All these tests could have been done in Kohono where Naruto wouldn't have had to feel thing.

Naruto smiled, his tired body ignored. He really didn't think it through until after he did it. The hug was awkward with Kiba's bag was in the way, the sheathed machete poking him but he still attempted the hug, the man standing still, facing away from him. He pulled away rather quickly though, a light tint to his cheeks when he realized he just randomly hugged the soldier whom he had just spent an entire day arguing. Kiba wasn't a bad person though Naruto knew that from the moment they met, a little moody and kind of really good looking but not a bad person.

Naruto started moving again just a few feet in front of brunette.

Kiba took a deep breath before he started moving again, this kid surprised him to no end. He felt like his moods were on a roller coaster, one minute annoyed and angry then next worried and a little of something else he hadn't acknowledged yet. Not when he really should be focused on the task of keeping them alive and safe. So he shook off the spark of desire and started moving again. Now wasn't the time or the place.

He didn't pay the awkward silence much mind when he heard it. Kiba grabbed Naruto's arm pulling the blonde back slightly behind him. He pulled his gun from his vest. Kiba backed them up into the trees, eyes scanning the area. They were lucky they had very few run ins coming back from the city.

Naruto held his breath as a group of zombies or whatever you wanted to call them, came from the other side of the woods, they were moving slowly and in the opposite direction which he was grateful for. But still they stayed there and stayed quiet, waiting for the group of infected to pass them. He stared at Kiba's back instead of those things. He knew better, he should keep his eyes on them but he didn't want to see them. Childish, perhaps but ever since he was bit he hadn't been able to keep his eyes on them.

They both stayed quiet even when a few got close to where they were now hiding, but Kiba never took his eyes on them and Naruto never took his eyes off of Kiba, ready to run if they had too. He did his best to focus solely on the soldier in front of him until they all passed from Kiba's sight.

"What is Kohono like?" Naruto questioned as he curled up into the sleeping bag, the shivers working their way through his body as he stared at the fire slowly roaring to life. He hadn't been there since he was born. Literally his mother had taken him and left hoping somewhere else would be better- less infected, though there was no place like that.

Kiba finished with the fire in the fireplace. They were lucky there was one, that the place had been secured before it was abandoned. He moved next to the blond their sleeping bags right next to each other. He grabbed the bag next to him pulling out two MRE's and handing one to the shaking blond.

"It's still like a city. The walls were always there, the gates put up after it was cleared of infected. It still runs the same though I guess you never saw the world before all this. "He paused. "It's busy. You will like it. Once you are inside the city, the monsters seem to fade away. All the shops are open, hospitals, things like that; the movie theater is still open."

"Movie?" He heard stories. "Can you take me?"

"Sure. After you get settled, I'll take you to a movie."

"As soon as we get there!" Naruto pouted slightly, a ping of fear being pushed aside.

"All right." Kiba tried not to let the excitement catch on.

Naruto beamed, teeth lightly chattering but the cold went ignored. "Did you go often?"

"No." He paused for a moment. "I lived in a safe house a ways away from the city, sort of like an outpost for travelers, I work there six months out of a year, than trade out."

"That was lonely wasn't it?"

"I liked it." Kiba smiled, something that was rather rare to him. "It was quiet and I had my dog as company. You'll like him. "

Naruto pulled the ration under the blankets not wanting to get out of the sleeping bag, he wanted to be excited but, "Are. . . are you going back to the safe house?"

Kiba hadn't really thought about it. He had thought he'd miss it but he hadn't thought about going back. "I'll do what I'm ordered, but..." He paused. "I'll request to stay by you at least for a while." He didn't want to leave the kid alone. Not after being dragged there. Maybe he just didn't want to abandon Naruto.

"Yeah?" Naruto sat up the sleeping bag pooling around his waist.

"If you want me too."

"I do want you." He blushed lightly. "I mean, I do want you." What was he saying? Why was Kiba smirking, and why were the words sounding so different in his head? Naruto hurriedly opened the ration, shoving a large bit of the protein bar into his mouth, finding the wall very interesting.

'This kid.' He thought that a lot and when he convinces himself that this is not the time Naruto would do something that made him question his reasoning. He was interested and now he was sure, so was Naruto. At first he simply thought the blond flirted without knowing- no he was still sure about that. Well he could make sure than do something later.

"Hey." Kiba sat his food down, reaching out he lifted Naruto's chin. Moving quickly he pressed their lips together briefly, ignoring the crumbs and the shocked look from the blond.

"That okay?" he whispered, only pulling back a little to gauge the kids reaction.

"Yeah," Naruto squeaked.

"Good." Kiba pulled away returning to his food smirking when Naruto said 'yeah.' again. He started eating after pulling out a canteen for them to share. They both ate in silence.

Naruto really thought Kiba didn't like him, but he doubted he would be kissed by someone who hated him. But god those lips even a chaste kiss was amazing. Course he only was ever kissed by two other people so his experience was nye but, he smiled. . .

They didn't make it through the night even indoors without seeking out body heat. Kiba wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist pulling her blond tightly against his chest. They weren't new to sharing body heat. It was necessary for them both, but also it felt better than usual, maybe because of the kiss.

Naruto shivered but he was starting to warm up, Kiba had put more wood in the fire before crawling in his bag behind Naruto, pulling his sleeping bag over them both. And holding him that sent electricity through his body. Sure they shared body heat before but Naruto was still on a high from the little kiss they had shared.

Who would have thought that a kiss would feel so good when really it was just lips pressing together for nothing but a moment? Naruto's fingers curled, pressing against his lips, cold air hitting them.

"Hey, Naruto, I think you'll like this ramen shop. You like that stuff and the ramen house I think you'll have a second home there."

Naruto's eyes slightly widened. "As soon..."

"Our first stop," Kiba chuckled, ignoring the cold air around them. Somehow he knew Naruto would love the old man's shop he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before.

Naruto smiled he would like that, he didn't know what would happen once he got there. Here he was hauled off into the small lab and tests run for months without sunlight. He figured it would be like that but with less pain involved he hoped. So anything fun he wanted to do before that started. Hell, maybe that was why he wasn't in a hurry. "Promise," he whispered.

"I promise." Kiba laughed softly. "We will make it our first stop, okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah." He thought about it. He wanted to say something else but only felt the blood run cold in his body when he heard the light thumping sound from outside. He started to say something when hands came up covering his mouth for a moment. So he didn't move or make a sound when Kiba sat up slowly.

Kiba moved from their shared spot his hand slipping inside the bag to pull out the large hunting knife, wanting to keep this quiet. He moved from the fire to the door, peering out the small eyehole and seeing just what they were dealing with. He turned quickly, motioning for Naruto to get up. Forgetting the bags, he grabbed the blonde's hand and their shoes, making a break for the upstairs.

The cold night all but forgotten as they made their way into the main bedroom thats when Naruto heard it the door came open and there was laughter but Naruto had a bad feeling they wouldn't be hiding if there wasn't a reason.

Naruto was being pushed out the window Kiba following suit. They pressed themselves against the wall going for the first floor. They moved quickly getting off the roof, the loud chattering coming from inside he knew they were in trouble when a gunshot rang out. Kiba pushed him down behind the trash bins. "Stay," he growled moving around the way. They were rowdy and drunk but he could get their stuff, hopefully without a fight.

"No, I'll distract them you get our stuff." Naruto scrambled to his feet when Kiba shook his head. "Fine, you distract them I'll get our stuff."

Kiba was about to argue when the door swung open again. He tossed his knife down towards Naruto before he booked it back around hearing their shouts he made his way to the tree line hoping to kami this worked.

Naruto slipped his shoes on pressing himself against the wall. He heard shouting but it started to fade and that was when he moved but like Kiba taught him he stayed low. Moving along the porch he slowed into view of the door. He quickly-nearly on his knees made his way to where their stuff was, two backpacks and a duffle bag, he left their sleeping bags, he pulled the bag up when he heard movement. He couldn't help himself he forgot Kiba's knife so he ran out the door and when he heard yelling he ran faster. He made his way to the trees where there were a group and Kiba- not in his sight though. He was worried about Kiba but he couldn't slow down.

Naruto yelped when he was tackled he struggled against the larger man. Naruto's arms shot out, fingers scratching in the dirt. He felt fingers tighten in his hair and he struggled more. Naruto failed his elbows finally catching the man's chin with his elbow. Once he got enough leeway he got out from underneath the man, he scrambled away from the heavyset man. he raised his foot kicking at the man's chest and pushing him down before running again. He grabbed his things on the way making a run for it and hoping that he made it to Kiba and out of here.

Kiba hadn't put on his shoes but that went forgotten as he started circling the house in the trees hoping they were stupid enough to buy Naruto time. He zig zagged around looking towards the house and those following him. Dreading that his gun was in his bag for the night.

He had a rule of trusting outside the safe zone and it was there for a reason. The snow crunched beneath his feet the light snow falling hit his face numbing it to the cold. Kiba moved a bit ahead of them, he put one foot in front of the other, thankful that they seemed to want them alive because no guns had been fired. He picked up his pace on the last rounding of the house, panic setting in when he heard Naruto call out. He moved faster years of training on his side. He came up on Naruto darting off, a man behind him. He brought his hand up, striking the man down before booking it after the blond. He didn't dare look back to see if they were still be followed, they just kept running.


End file.
